Dear Editor:

I am a reader of the Notre Dame Academy newspaper, The Tritonian, and also an international student from Brazil.

NDA is an amazing school that supports the international students very well. A problem for us that were born in a different country and came to the United States of America is the shock of cultures with the American kids. 

Normally, American kids are not very interested in meeting the international students, and there is a reason why: The American kids already have their own friends, their own histories and their own activities, and they do not need another kid, from other country, from a different culture with a funny accent. 

But we, the international guys, are alone here. We do not have our families, our friends, our school, our teachers… We do not have anything. We are always trying to make friends, but it is difficult.

Through this letter I am advising that you, American kids, should meet the international students. Yes, it is hard, but, do you think that it is easy to come to a country where you do not know anybody?

Think about this and teach the international kids about the American way, and let them teach you the International way.

Vitor Menini, Junior

Dear Editor:

I wanted to write and say a huge thank you to the organizers of Battle of the Classes.  BOTC is the culmination of Fall Fest Week and is the most anticipated event of the week besides the Fall Fest Dance.  BOTC has been in the works for over two months now, but no one realizes all the work that truly goes into the planning and executing.

Frau is the mastermind behind the operation, without whom the event would never take place. But there is a countless number of students who have stepped up to take on the challenge of planning, which includes spending hours at NDA after school editing, filming, or doing sound and lighting.

These few students help make Fall Fest Week more enjoyable, but everyone takes this event for granted and some don’t even attend the event and just leave.  I encourage you to recognize the unsung heroes that have put the work in to the show that you enjoy. Just say a quick “thanks” and know that your gratitude matters.

Jenna Mineau, Senior

Dear Editor,

I am a freshman at Notre Dame Academy, and this year the administration has introduced an activity fee, which has caused a lot of hype amongst students, parents and faculty.

I do not think that charging an activity fee is a big deal. You are charged fees for almost everything these days and clubs seem like something logical to charge for.

However, I do have a problem with the way we are supposed to pay the fee.  Just giving it to our adviser seems really unorganized and the adviser’s job is not to manage money and keep up with who has paid and who has not.

 The administration should have just added the fee to the tuition fee.  As a high school student, I have a lot on my mind, and the last thing I want to have to think of is whether or not I have all of my club fees paid.

The activity fee is reasonable, but the method of collecting it, not so much.

Elle Woleske, Freshman

Dear Editor:

At my high school, we have a dress code and we wear uniforms. There are some students that hate it because they just wish they could wear whatever they want, but I don’t believe that they know exactly how lucky we really are.

Every morning when we wake up, we don’t have to open the closet door and stare blankly at our clothes until realizing what we want to wear. Also, because we wear uniforms, I feel like I don’t have to worry about whether or not I look cool or like I have money or like I know what the style is; I can just throw on a polo and some khakis and call it a day. Even if we didn’t have uniforms, I would probably wake up and go to school wearing the clothes I slept in.

Thus I wish that people would stop complaining about our dress code and our uniforms and embrace the fact that we have it easiest out of all the public schools in Green Bay. There are no hard feelings because you cannot afford the coolest and trendiest clothes, and you don’t have to feel like you need to make your uniform look better than everyone else because everyone looks the same.

Cassie Bohn, Junior

Dear Editor:

As a student at Notre Dame Academy, I am so excited that our school has such a diversity of students, not in the different ethnicities, but the diversity found in the students’ personalities and activities.  We are not the typical high school with multiple cliques.

Every student is popular in his or her own way. The ‘cool kids’ aren’t always the football players and cheerleaders. The “mathletes” are welcomed back from their meets with praise and then during the football games, the pep band gets as much praise as the football team. The ‘dorks’ of the school sometimes end up being the most remembered students.

Notre Dame seems to praise the odd and out of place kids, but it’s funny because they’re not out of place.  Everyone has a little group, made up of so many different students.  People embrace the weird and different at Notre Dame, and the students are truly content with who they are.

Paige Sprague, Sophomore

Dear Editor:

As a die-hard college football fan, I would like to address a very serious issue in college football that I feel is imperative for a more efficient system. The NCAA needs to begin a playoff system that benefits teams in non-FBS conferences who have outstanding records but cannot reach the “big game” because the BCS sways their vote towards teams in “tougher” conferences.

Teams like TCU and Boise State have been cheated out of championship recognition because the conferences they play in are not considered to be in the elite class of teams. These teams will reach the number three or number four ranking but never can seem to attain the number one ranking to land them a bid to the final game.

I believe the NCAA should devise a playoff system that gives the top eight teams a playoff series deciding which teams should play in the championship game. This system only seems fair because personally I am sick of seeing the same teams getting a shot at the “ship,” while the non-FBS teams have to be content with sub-par bowl games.

Cameron Snyder, Sophomore

Dear Editor:

I have played volleyball for all four years of my high school career, and for the first three the support for the volleyball program was very minimal.  Notre Dame is the ‘normal’ high school where football and basketball are the major focus no matter how their season is going.  Because of the focus on these sports there is little support  and crowds for any of the other sports--even when they are having a very successful season.  However, this year that changed for the volleyball program. 

Due to the acknowledgement and the ‘super fans’ for the volleyball team, the support this year skyrocketed.  I would like to thank everyone for that.  This past season has changed the face of the Notre Dame volleyball program.  Because of the attendance at the volleyball matches, students, teachers and parents realized that volleyball is fun to watch.

Because people now realize what volleyball is really about, an intramural program has been created.  The support of intramural volleyball will hopefully open up new windows for possibly a boys volleyball program and more support for the girls program.

I would like to thank anyone who supported the volleyball program this year.  You helped to make this a season to remember.

Andrea Larsen, Senior